Monoski

ABSTRACT

A monoski having forward and rear platform supports with sideby-side ski boot bindings for supporting a skier on a raised platform for downhill monoskiing and a rear edging stabilizer having a pair of resiliently mounted depending outrigger edges facilitating monoski turn control. The forward platform support is longitudinally adjustable, and lower toe and heel ski boot bindings are mounted on the inner opposed ends of the platform supports for supporting a skier below the raised platform between the platform supports for non-downhill monoskiing and other transitional periods.

United States Patent [191 Fish Dec. 17, 1974 MONOSKI Primary Examiner-Philip Goodman An ,A 1, F -Pt ,H ,Klb& [76] Inventor: Norman B. Fish, 191 Miller Rd., is? ayes North Windham, Conn. 06256 [22] F1led: May 31, 1973 [57] ABSTRACT [21 1 Appl' 36541l A monoski having forward and rear platform supports with side-by-side ski boot bindings for supporting a [52] US. Cl 280/l1.13 W skier on a raised platform for downhill monoskiing [51] Int. Cl. A63c 5/00 and a rear edging stabilizer having a pair of resiliently [58] Field of Search- 28 /l 1,1 1 -13 W, mounted depending outrigger edges facilitating 280/1135 A, l -35 12 12 L monoski turn control. The forward platform support is longitudinally adjustable, and lower toe and heel ski [56] References Cited boot bindings are mounted on the inner opposed ends UNITED STATES PATENTS of the platform supports for supporting a skier below 2 764 417 9/1956 Sweet 280/1 1.12 the raised Platform between the Platform Supports for 3:685:846 8/1974 Schmid 280/] 1.13 w non-downhill monoskiing and other transitional P ods.

11 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures MONOSKI BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates generally to snow skis and more particularly to a new and improved snow monoski.

It is a principal aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved snow monoski having different modes of attachment for using the monoski for downhill monoskiing or alternatively for transporting the ski while for example riding a chair lift or for supporting a skier during other non-downhill skiing transitional periods.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved edging stabilizer for a monoski for facilitating monoski turns. In accordance with the present invention, the monoski stabilizer permits greater turn control and to maintain the monoski under full control during and in and out of turns.

It is a further aim of the present invention to provide anew and improved monoski having a binding permitting both step-in attachment for non-downhill skiing transitional periods and step-out removal of the monoski.

It is another aim of the present invention to provide a new and improved monoski providing for alternatively supporting a skier at either a raised lever or at a normal level relative to the running surface of the ski.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out more in detail hereinafter.

A better understanding of the invention will be obtained from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings of an illustrative application of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings: FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a monoski incorporating an embodiment of the present invention and also DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring now to the drawings in detail, a monoski l0 incorporating an embodiment of the present invention is shown comprising a conventional ski 12 with a lower running surface 14 and a platform assembly 16 with forward and rear platform subassemblies 18, 20 respectively. The rear platform subassembly 20 comprises a rear platform support or block 22 with a base 24 secured to the ski 12 by suitable fasteners 26, a raised platform 28 generally parallel to the base 24 and upwardly and outwardly inclined front end and side supporting walls 29-31 rigidly supporting the raised platform 28 above the base 24. Also, strengtheners 27 are providing for assisting in rigidifying the block 22. The raised platform 28 has a width substantially greater than the width of the ski 12 and lies centrally over the axis of the ski 12.

The forward platform subassembly 18 also comprises a platform support or block 32 constructed like the rear block 22 and which similarly comprises a base 33 and a raised enlarged forward platform 34 having substantially the same width as the rear platform 28 and which cooperates with the rear platform 28 to form a skier support platform raised substantially above the ski 12. Also, the forward block 32 comprises front end and side supporting walls 35-37 and strengtheners 38 for rigidifying the block 32.

A pair of conventional ski boot bindings 40 are mounted on the forward and rear platform sections 34, 28 to provide for attaching the monoski to a skier with his ski boots in close side-by-side association as seen in FIG. 1. The bindings 40 shown comprise a pair of forward or toe bindings 42 mounted on the forward end of the forward platform section 34 and a pair of step-in rear or heel bindings 44 mounted on the rear platform section 28. The heel bindings 44 are preferably longitudinally adjustable on the rear platform section 28 as shown to accommodate different shoe sizes. Also, a strap connector 46 is shown employed for attaching the monoski to a skiers boot in order to prevent loss of the ski when the ski bindings are automatically released during use.

In accordance with the present invention, the front support 32 is made longitudinally adjustable on the ski 12 to permit the support 32 to be moved to a forward position where the ski is adapted to be attached to the skier in an alternative manner between and below the raised platform sections 28, 34. For this purpose, an elongated channel or guideway 48 is affixed to the ski 12 by suitable fasteners and has a pair of laterally spaced and longitudinally extending inwardly opening channel edges 49 for receiving the base 33 of the forward support 32 for permitting longitudinal adjustment of the forward support 32 on the ski 12 between the ends 50, 51 of the guideway 48. A sheet 54 of Teflon or other suitable plastic material is mounted on the base 56 of the guideway and sheet strips 57 of such plastic material are mounted on the lateral edges of the support base 33 to underlie the channel lips and thereby facilitate longitudinal movement of the support 32 along the guideway 48. Also, the channel edges 49 of the guideway 48 are formed with longitudinally spaced slots 60 to permit proper flexure of the ski 12 during use.

The guideway base 56 and the base plastic sheet 54 have a pair of longitudinally spaced apertures 64, which may extend into and even through the ski 12 if desired as shown in the drawings. A reciprocable locking plunger 68 and pivotal operating lever 70 are mounted on the front block 32 for selectively positioning the locking plunger in the openings 64, 65 (which thereby provide locking abutments for the plunger) for selectively locking the forward support 32 in place in forward and rear operating positions. The operating lever 70 is pivotally biased by a compression spring 73 to maintain the plunger in its lower locking position. and the lever extends forwardly of the support 32 to be manually actuated downwardly to unlock the forward support 32. The locking plunger 68 has a lower front notch 75 which cooperates with the base 56 such that the plunger 68 is in effect latched in its lower locking position by the forward thrust on the front support 32 during skiing to prevent any inadvertent release of the front support 32. A cavity 76 is provided in the forward end of the lever 70 to receive the tip of a ski pole and thereby permit the lever to be actuated with a ski pole to unlock the front support 32, for example to permit the skier to move the front support 32 forwardly with his foot to release the skier from the ski when the skier is supported between the platform sections 28, 34 as hereafter described. Also, a reciprocable indicator 77 is connected to the lever 70 such that its upper end is adapted to be flush with the forward platform section 34 to indicate that the plunger 68 is in locking position.

With the front support 32 in its forward operating position with the locking plunger 68 received in the forward aperture 65 the rear support 22 and forward support 32 are properly spaced to permit a skier to be supported at a lower level on the ski (at substantially the same longitudinal position on the ski 12 as on the raised platform) between and substantially below the raised platform sections 28, 34. In the shown embodiment, a skier is adapted to be supported in the lower position centrally over the ski on the rear end of the forward guideway 48 and on a heel support piece 80. A suitable circular toe binding 82 is mounted on the rear end of the forward support 32, and a rear heel binding 86 is mounted on the rear support 22 to secure the monoski to the sk-ier at the lower alternative position between the blocks 22,- 32. Vertical toe adjustment is achieved by vertical adjustment of the toe binding 82, and vertical heel adjustment is achieved by appropriate selection of the thickness of heel piece 80 or by appropriately shimming the heel piece. The heel binding 86 is formed by a rod 88 mounted on the rear block 22 for reciprocable movement parallel to the axis of the ski and has a forward suitably contoured heel button 90 (which is generally rounded or hemispherical in the shown embodiment) engageable with the ski boot heel (in an appropriate cavity provided in the ski boot heel) to retain the heel of the ski boot in place on the ski. A first nut 92 is mounted on a threaded rear end of the rod 88 and a compression spring 94 is mounted on the rod 88 in engagement with the nut 92 to bias the rod to its forward position which is adjustable by a second stop nut 94 to accommodate different size ski boots. Also, the forward spring bias by the spring 96 can be adjusted with the nut 92. The rear stop nut 94 is readily accessible from the rear of the rear support 22 and a suitable offset wrench (not shown) may be provided for adjusting the nut 92 from the rear opening in the rear support 22. Accordingly, the heel binding 86 can be adjusted and the heel button 90 and corresponding heel cavity can be properly contoured such that the heel binding 86 can be used for both step-in attachment of the ski to a skier and step-out removal of the ski from the skier.

The monoski can be used for supporting a skier in a first monoski position on the raised platform for downhill monoskiing and the like. The forward support block 32 can then be moved to its forward position and the skier can step into the lower step-in binding for supporting the skier during non-downhill skiing transitional periods and the like and for transporting the ski while using the chair lift or other ski lift. Of course,

while supporting a skier in the lower position, the ski 12 can still be used for skiing purposes in which event the ski boot not attached to the ski can be supported on the platform or ski as desired while skiing.

A monoski stabilizer 100 is mounted at the rear end of the ski for improving monoski turn control during and in and out of turns. The stabilizer 108 comprises a resilient cantilever support 101 affixed to the upper face of the ski 12 several inches in front of the tail of the ski and a pair of L-shaped metal auxiliary edge members 102, 103 secured along the lateral edges of the cantilever support and having depending longitudinally extending outrigger edges 106 parallel to and laterally outwardly of the adjacent operating edges of the ski 12. The outrigger edges W6 are rounded at their forward ends and are preferably slightly elevated above the adjacent section of the running surface 14 of the ski 12 such that the outrigger edges do not create any substantial drag during non-edging operation of the ski. However, during turns and when the ski 12 is tilted to grip the terrain with a ski edge, the adjacent outrigger edge 106 also engages the terrain to assist in stabilizing the ski and permit greater monoski control during and in and out of turns. In more particularlity, it has been found that the outrigger edge provides for controlling the amount of turn and for permitting the skier to prevent overturning which is otherwise difficult to avoid.

The cantilever support 101 comprises a suitable resilient flat rubber base 110 and a plurality of laterally extending leaf springs 112 overlying the rubber base and extending to the lateral edges of the base. The cantilever support 101 is secured to the upper face of the ski by suitable fasteners 114 extending through washers 116 engaging the leaf springs and such that the resiliency of the cantilever support 101 can be established by using an appropriate number of leaf springs 112 of appropriate rigidity. The cantilever rigidity is thereby preferably set so that the outrigger edges 106 provide an effective relatively rigid edge in snow and yet permit upper movement of the outrigger edge when it engages ice or the like so that it will not effect ski tilting and normal edging with the ski.

As will be apparent to persons skilled in the art, various modifications, adaptations and variations of the foregoing specific disclosure can be made without departing from the teachings of the present invention.

I claim:

1. In a monoski comprising an elongated ski with a lower running surface and a platform assembly with forward and rear platform supports on the ski with upper forward and rear platform sections collectively providing a raised platform above the ski, and upper ski boot binding means for selectively supporting a skier on the raised platform, the improvement wherein the platform assembly comprises platform support mounting means for longitudinally adjusting at least one of the platform supports to adjust the relative spacing of the forward and rear platform supports on the ski between first relatively adjacent positions for supporting a skier with the upper ski boot binding means on the raised platform and second relatively spaced positions for supporting a skier at an alternative lower position below the raised platform and between the forward and rear platform sections, and wherein the monoski comprises lower ski boot binding means for selectively supporting a skier at said alternative lower position between the platform sections.

2. A monoski according to claim 1 wherein the lower ski boot binding means comprises heel binding means mounted on the rear platform support.

3. A monoski according to claim 2 wherein the heel binding means comprises a heel slide mounted on the rear platform support for longitudinal reciprocable movement, spring means forwardly biasing the slide to a forward operative position and permitting rearward retraction of the slide, the slide having a forward end providing a step-in and step-out heel connector for step-in attachment and step-out removal of the monoski at said lower position.

4. A monoski according to claim 3 wherein the heel binding means comprises means for adjusting the forward bias of the spring means on the heel slide to vary the force required for said step-in attachment and stepout removal of the monoski at said lower position.

5. A monoski according to claim 1 wherein the upper ski boot binding means provides for attachment to a pair of ski boots in side-by-side association generally centered over the longitudinal axis of the ski and the lower ski boot binding means provides for attachment to a single ski boot at said alternative lower position generally centered over the longitudinal axis of the ski.

6. A monoski according to claim 1 wherein the platform support mounting means comprises a longitudinally extending guideway affixed to the ski and a slide longitudinally reciprocable in the guideway and forming the base of said one platform support for longitudinally adjusting it along the ski, and locking means for selectively locking said one platform support at each of a plurality of longitudinally spaced positions along the guideway.

7. A monoski according to claim 6 wherein the locking means comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced locking abutments on the guideway, a locking member mounted on said one platform support operable for selective engagement with the longitudinally spaced locking abutments for locking said one platform support against longitudinal displacement on the ski in each of a plurality of longitudinally spaced positions respectively, and manually operable means for operating the locking member.

8. A monoski according to claim 1 further comprising a stabilizer having a transversely extending cantilever support mounted on the ski rearwardly of the rear platform support and extending in both lateral directions beyond the ski and longitudinally extending outrigger edges depending from the cantilever support laterally outwardly of the opposite lateral edges of the ski, the cantilever support being resilient to permit the outrigger edges to be displaced upwardly during edging.

9. A monoski comprising an elongated ski with a lower longitudinally extending running surface and longitudinally extending control edges along opposite edges of the running surface, a platform assembly mounted generally centrally on the ski providing a raised platform above the ski and having ski boot binding means for supporting a monoskier on the raised platform at an elevated position above the lower running surface of the ski for monoskiing, and a stabilizer mounted on the ski substantially rearwardly of the raised platform comprising a transversely extending cantilever support mounted on the ski and extending in both lateral directions beyond the ski, and an outrigger edge member depending from the cantilever support on each side of the ski and having a lower longitudinally extending outrigger edge laterally outwardly of and raised above the adjacent lower running surface and side edge of the ski, the cantilever support being resilient to permit each outrigger edge member to be displaced upwardly when the monoski is inclined for edging to provide an auxiliary control edge for preventing overturns without nullifying the edging effectiveness of the adjacent control edge along the edge of the running surface of the ski.

10. A ski assembly according to claim 9 wherein the cantilever support comprises a resilient transversely extending cantilever base supporting the depending outrigger edges and transversely extending leaf spring means overlying the cantilever base to control the upward displacement of the outrigger edges.

11. In a monoski comprising an elongated ski with a lower running surface and a platform assembly with forward and rear longitudinally spaced platform supports mounted on the ski respectively having forward and rear upper platform sections collectively providing a raised platform above the ski, and ski boot binding means for selectively supporting a skier on the raised platform, the improvement wherein the platform as sembly is settable at a first setting for supporting a skier at an elevated position on the raised platform and alternatively settable at a second setting for supporting a skier at an alternative lower position below the raised platform and between the forward and rear platform supports, and wherein the ski boot binding means provides for attachment of the monoski to a pair of ski boots in side-by-side association on the raised platform and generally centered over the longitudinal axis of the ski with the platform assembly at said first setting and for attachment of the monoski to a single ski boot at said alternative lower position generally centered over the longitudinal axis of the ski with the platform assembly at said second setting. 

1. In a monoski comprising an elongated ski with a lower running surface and a platform assembly with forward and rear platform supports on the ski with upper forward and rear platform sections collectively providing a raised platform above the ski, and upper ski boot binding means for selectively supporting a skier on the raised platform, the improvement wherein the platform assembly comprises platform support mounting means for longitudinally adjusting at least one of the platform supports to adjust the relative spacing of the forward and rear platform supports on the ski between first relatively adjacent positions for supporting a skier with the upper ski boot binding means on the raised platform and second relatively spaced positions for supporting a skier at an alternative lower position below the raised platform and between the forward and rear platform sections, and wherein the monoski comprises lower ski boot binding means for selectively supporting a skier at said alternative lower position between the platform sections.
 2. A monoski according to claim 1 wherein the lower ski boot binding means comprises heel binding means mounted on the rear platform support.
 3. A monoski according to claim 2 wherein the heel binding means comprises a heel slide mounted on the rear platform support for longitudinal reciprocable movement, spring means forwardly biasing the slide to a forward operative position and permitting rearward retraction of the slide, the slide having a forward end providing a step-in and step-out heel connector for step-in attachment and step-out removal of the monoski at said lower position.
 4. A monoski according to claim 3 wherein the heel binding means comprises means for adjusting the forward bias of the spring means on the heel slide to vary the force required for said step-in attachment and step-out removal of the monoski at said lower position.
 5. A monoski according to claim 1 wherein the upper ski boot binding means provides for attachment to a pair of ski boots in side-by-side association generally centered over the longitudinal axis of the ski and the lower ski boot binding means provides for attachment to a single ski boot at said alternative lower position generally centered over the longitudinal axis of the ski.
 6. A monoski according to claim 1 wherein the platform support mounting means comprises a longitudinally extending guideway affixed to the ski and a slide longitudinally reciprocable in the guideway and forming the base of said one platform support for longitudinally adjusting it along the ski, and locking means for selectively locking said one platform support at Each of a plurality of longitudinally spaced positions along the guideway.
 7. A monoski according to claim 6 wherein the locking means comprises a plurality of longitudinally spaced locking abutments on the guideway, a locking member mounted on said one platform support operable for selective engagement with the longitudinally spaced locking abutments for locking said one platform support against longitudinal displacement on the ski in each of a plurality of longitudinally spaced positions respectively, and manually operable means for operating the locking member.
 8. A monoski according to claim 1 further comprising a stabilizer having a transversely extending cantilever support mounted on the ski rearwardly of the rear platform support and extending in both lateral directions beyond the ski and longitudinally extending outrigger edges depending from the cantilever support laterally outwardly of the opposite lateral edges of the ski, the cantilever support being resilient to permit the outrigger edges to be displaced upwardly during edging.
 9. A monoski comprising an elongated ski with a lower longitudinally extending running surface and longitudinally extending control edges along opposite edges of the running surface, a platform assembly mounted generally centrally on the ski providing a raised platform above the ski and having ski boot binding means for supporting a monoskier on the raised platform at an elevated position above the lower running surface of the ski for monoskiing, and a stabilizer mounted on the ski substantially rearwardly of the raised platform comprising a transversely extending cantilever support mounted on the ski and extending in both lateral directions beyond the ski, and an outrigger edge member depending from the cantilever support on each side of the ski and having a lower longitudinally extending outrigger edge laterally outwardly of and raised above the adjacent lower running surface and side edge of the ski, the cantilever support being resilient to permit each outrigger edge member to be displaced upwardly when the monoski is inclined for edging to provide an auxiliary control edge for preventing overturns without nullifying the edging effectiveness of the adjacent control edge along the edge of the running surface of the ski.
 10. A ski assembly according to claim 9 wherein the cantilever support comprises a resilient transversely extending cantilever base supporting the depending outrigger edges and transversely extending leaf spring means overlying the cantilever base to control the upward displacement of the outrigger edges.
 11. In a monoski comprising an elongated ski with a lower running surface and a platform assembly with forward and rear longitudinally spaced platform supports mounted on the ski respectively having forward and rear upper platform sections collectively providing a raised platform above the ski, and ski boot binding means for selectively supporting a skier on the raised platform, the improvement wherein the platform assembly is settable at a first setting for supporting a skier at an elevated position on the raised platform and alternatively settable at a second setting for supporting a skier at an alternative lower position below the raised platform and between the forward and rear platform supports, and wherein the ski boot binding means provides for attachment of the monoski to a pair of ski boots in side-by-side association on the raised platform and generally centered over the longitudinal axis of the ski with the platform assembly at said first setting and for attachment of the monoski to a single ski boot at said alternative lower position generally centered over the longitudinal axis of the ski with the platform assembly at said second setting. 